Sunday, August 31, 2008

the back

bears the weight of growth
(snowballing snowballing)

things it's not supposed to carry-
elephant-sized loads (metal feelings
tucked inside like lumps of lead)

chainmail thoughts draped
around the shoulders
circle linked to circle
(armor that begins to hurt)

a heart thrust into the neck
asymmetrical muscles
in a knotted mess
(prisoners of a different kind of war)

rain stuck in striations
back full of heavy water
sharp stones in a river
(hard to do the back stroke)

rift in an energy-stagnant mind
brain stem connected to those old bones
(all the flavor boiled out)

back bend or side twist or toe touch
something has to change

4 comments:

Cynthia said...

Oh, the load we pile upon ourselves, how we try to "lift",
so many burdens, and I love
"chainmail thoughts"! true this,
"a heart thrust into the neck",
knotted mess.
Excellent poem, Holly!

holly said...

thank you Cynthia...I realized after writing this I need a massage. ;)

Anonymous said...

Such a sense of tight tension. The end, with its movement, is such a relief.

Anonymous said...

What a neat write=

brain stem connected to those old bones
(all the flavor boiled out)

back bend or side twist or toe touch
something has to change


Something has to change this to me is a powerful line that says all for this poem... Wonderful!